Google Planning to Enable Mob Rule Ratings for Search Results
December 15th, 2008Get Ready for New and Improved Google Results: Now Powered by the Zombie Consumer Death Cult!
I have to make jokes because this is very, very grim. If you want to understand what I mean, just spend some time using Reddit without filters.
The imbeciles found their way into the machine, and they’re clicking up and down arrows, deciding what’s on top, and what disappears. Google has now implemented a similar system and they want to use that data to influence search results.
* holding head in hands *
Via: Register:
This week Marissa Meyer explained that editorial judgments will play a key role in Google searches. It was reported by Tech Crunch proprietor Michael Arrington – who Nick Carr called the “Madam of the Web 2.0 Brothel” – but its significance wasn’t noted. The irony flew safely over his head at 30,000 feet. Arrington observed:
Mayer also talked about Google’s use of user data created by actions on Wiki search to improve search results on Google in general. For now that data is not being used to change overall search results, she said. But in the future it’s likely Google will use the data to at least make obvious changes. An example is if “thousands of people” were to knock a search result off a search page, they’d be likely to make a change.
Now what, you may be thinking, is an “obvious change”? Is it one that is frivolous? (Thereby introducing a Google Frivolitimeter™ [Beta]). Or is it one that goes against the grain of the consensus? If so, then who decides what the consensus must be? Make no mistake, Google is moving into new territory: not only making arbitrary, editorial choices – really no different to Fox News, say, or any other media organization. It’s now in the business of validating and manufacturing consent: not only reporting what people say, but how you should think.
Are there any search engines free of “editorial” functions? More “lazy fair”.